Rock drilling

[Gerhard Gerber]

I want to make a stand for a knife, rock as the base, rebar for the spine with 4mm rod ribs welded on and planning on forging it a bit to make it look more organic, ribs bent around to cradle the sheath 

Plan is to drill a hole in the rock and epoxy in the rebar.

I have a 10mm diamond tipped masonry bit which I used to drill extra drainage holes in ceramic bonsai pots.

Despite being very interested in geology, I can't get the knowledge about basic rock types to stick in my head, I do know my selected victim is not quartz, and not mica, so hopefully.

My plan is to just cover the rock with water and have at it, my days of drilling bonsai pots are over, so if the bit dies, it dies.  If the rock breaks I have Sunday's hike to find another, and most likely not enough time to finish it.

[Joshua States]

Depending on what type of rock you have and where the grain structure lies, drilling can either go smoothly, or be a disaster, My advice is to NOT use the hammer function on the drill (if it has one). Just use it like a regular drill with plenty of water, light pressure and go slowly. My wife uses local flagstone as bases for her artwork quite frequently. This is a sedimentary sandstone prone to fracturing along plate lines. Even drilling on edge we have managed to drill holes without fracturing the rock by taking it slow and just drilling raher than hammer-drilling.

[Gerhard Gerber]

I got about 1cm in and decided to stop, makes a horrible noise, being Sunday afternoon I decided to give the neigbours some peace, but looks like it's going to work.

[Carlos Lara]

I have two diamond drill bits I used to put holes in stone tile. They work great for ceramic too. Lots of water and go slow, and you can drill through practically any rock, and they don't make a horrible noise either. They are pricey though!

[Gerhard Gerber]

As mentioned my drill bit has drilled several holes in ceramic bonsai pots.
Drill was on hammer setting, going by the "dust" I could see coming away in the water high speed was the way to go, I tried going slow and that didn't go anywhere.
Have to admit not what I expected, might give non-hammer and very slow a try.
Sheath is done so this weekend I want to try and finish the stand.

[Mark Graham]

Using a rock as a base for your knife stand and incorporating rebar and welding techniques makes for a unique and sturdy finished product.

As for drilling into the rock, it's great that you have experience with masonry bits and are prepared to try again if the bit fails. If you're unsure about the type of rock you're working with, UPET GROUP may be able to offer some advice on the best drilling techniques and equipment to use.

Edited April 17 by Mark Graham

[Don Abbott]

Check out Kyle Royer's latest video. He is making a stone handle for a dagger and drills from end to end for the tang.

 

He uses a hollow bit and a clay dam to hod water around it. It produces a core.

[Gerhard Gerber]

On 4/12/2023 at 10:41 PM, Don Abbott said:

Check out Kyle Royer's latest video. He is making a stone handle for a dagger and drills from end to end for the tang.

 

He uses a hollow bit and a clay dam to hod water around it. It produces a core.

Is that members only videos?  I never miss his videos and the last one I remember is when he bought the rocks......

Fortunately the rock got a bit softer on the inside, and most importantly didn't crack.

I'm going to glue on a little rock at the one back corner to make it a bit more stable, and I sincerely hope the presentation grabs somebody's wallet at tomorrow's market.

[Gerald Boggs]

I've drilled a fair number of holes into rock during my time doing architectural work.  Only had one rock gave me trouble, not sure which type of rock, but it was really hard and I went through several bits getting the hole drilled. That was a fireplace install using a hammer drill and carbide tipped masonry bits.  I've also done quite a number of stone stands for iron art, mostly ½ inch holes for forged flowers and trees. Maybe I've been lucky in my rocks from the creek, but never had any trouble drilling them. Again with hammer drill.  For handrail installs, I've always used a water cooled core drill.

[Carlos Lara]

I had to drill four holes in stone tile to mount a shower curtain rod. They were pretty thick pieces of tile, and I dulled two carbide bits trying to drill the first hole! I didn't have the means to sharpen them then, so I just bought a diamond drill bit. Took some time lubricated with water, but I got all four holes drilled.

[Don Abbott]

On 5/12/2023 at 9:02 AM, Gerhard Gerber said:

Is that members only videos?  I never miss his videos and the last one I remember is when he bought the rocks......

Fortunately the rock got a bit softer on the inside, and most importantly didn't crack.

I'm going to glue on a little rock at the one back corner to make it a bit more stable, and I sincerely hope the presentation grabs somebody's wallet at tomorrow's market.

 

 

[Gerald Boggs]

If it's drilling for handles, talk with some of the stone jewelry folks.  The few I know, drill holes large and small in quite a range of stones and sizes.